Cauliflower Gratin in Cheese Sauce Recipe
This French-style cauliflower gratin is a bowlful of comfort: tender cauliflower florets in a thick cheese sauce, topped with a crisp golden crust. In France, bakes like this often appear at family weeknight dinners because you can prepare them in advance and simply pop them in the oven. It’s a great way to get even veggie-sceptics to eat cauliflower without complaining.
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
60 min
Servings
4
Ingredients
- cauliflower medium, about 800 g - 1 piece
- butter - 40 g
- wheat flour - 40 g
- milk warm or at room temperature - 500 ml
- yellow cheese well-melting, grated, e.g. Gruyère or Emmental - 120 g
- 30% cream - 80 ml
- nutmeg grated - 0.25 teaspoons
- breadcrumbs - 3 tablespoons
- olive oil for greasing the dish - 1 tablespoon
- salt for cooking the cauliflower and seasoning the sauce
- white pepper to taste, you can use black pepper instead
Main Ingredient:
cauliflower
Preparation
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and slice the thicker stalks into smaller pieces. Rinse thoroughly under running water.
- Bring a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to the boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5–7 minutes, until slightly tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and set aside to steam dry.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute until a smooth, lump-free paste forms.
- Gradually pour in the milk, whisking vigorously all the time so the sauce stays smooth. Cook for 4–5 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream.
- Add the cream, half of the grated cheese, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Spread the cauliflower florets in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the hot cheese sauce over them so most of the cauliflower is covered.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the gratin.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and slightly crisp and the sauce is gently bubbling around the edges.
- After removing from the oven, let the gratin stand for 5–10 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly and the portions are easier to cut.
Storage
In fridge:
3 days
Freezing:
Yes
Leftover gratin keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat covered in the oven or in a microwave-safe dish. The texture of the topping will be softer after reheating but the flavour remains comforting.
Recipe submitted by
Marek, Site owner
Published:
Updated:
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